Read More

It was here she found love and finished as a runner-up with her now-husband Alex Bowen, who she married earlier this year.

When asked about how she felt to be named Essex’s sexiest woman, Olivia said: “It is quite surreal to be honest. I love that we’re in an age where sexiness defines women by their success and their achievements and not just the way they look.

“I wouldn’t be where I am without ambition and drive. I’ve had such amazing opportunities which have been created from where I started, but without the effort and belief in myself, these opportunities would not be there.

“Everything starts when you do, and all you need to do to get ahead is get started. That’s one of my favourite quotes.”

Read More

“It’s also amazing to be able to talk about things such as mental health awareness and to help so many people realise they aren’t alone. That’s been one of my biggest things that I’ve tried to speak about - to help young girls and boys learn it’s ok to not be ok all the time.”

Olivia’s life has completely changed since the ITV2 show, and now stars in her own TV spin off with Alex, aptly named Alex and Olivia.

“Every aspect of my life has changed for the better. I appreciate my family time and the time I get with my friends a lot more than I used to, probably because I get less of it.

Olivia Buckland and Alex Bowen pose at the National Television Awards in January 2017 (Image: Anthony Harvey)

“I adore my career and to be able to be presenting on TV and working in fashion is an absolute dream come true - not to mention that I’m now married to the man of my dreams.

“It’s just so nice to still feel like me, there’s such a worry that being strung into the limelight will change you on the inside, but I’m still the same weird, crazy fun girl I always was.

“I still struggle with normal girly things but I know that life can turn around when you work hard.

Read More

“For me, wherever my career goes next, I will always try to inspire and build young women’s confidence that life can be anything you try to make it.”

Here is Essex Live's complete list of the 25 sexiest women in Essex:

25 - Emma Blackery

(Image: Chuff Media)

Emma Blackery is a 26-year-old singer from Basildon who earns a living by creating YouTube videos about her life.

With762,000 followers on Twitter, she recently released an album called 'Villains', after a year of work alongside Toby Scott, who has also worked with the likes of Little Mix, Girls Aloud and The Saturdays.

Emma, who used to attend Bromfords School in Wickford, now lives in Brighton, but travels home often as she says "you can't take the Essex out of the girl".

24 - Victoria Beckham

(Image: Pascal Le Segretain)

Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, 44, was born in Harlow and has earned herself an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) for her services to the fashion industry.

Married to David Beckham, the famous pair have four children together - Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper - and she is expected to be worth around £450 million.

Her Instagram is filled with showcases of her own fashion line as well as family photos with David and her kids.

23 - Frankie Bridge

(Image: Stuart C. Wilson)

From Upminster in Havering, Frankie Bridge, fomally Sandford, first entered the music industry as part of S Club Juniors in 2001.

The band was put together as part of a reality CBBC television programme to follow on from the success of S Club 7.

Both Frankie and Rochelle Wiseman (now Humes) then formed girlband The Saturdays in 2007, selling over 8 million records in the UK and Ireland, including 'What About Us' with Sean Paul that reached number one.

The 29-year-old now lives in Surrey with her husband Wayne Bridge and their two sons, Carter and Parker.

22 - Jessie J

(Image: Leon Bennett)

Jessie J is a 30-year-old English singer and songwriter from Redbridge, well-known for her UK number one singles 'Price Tag', 'Domino' and 'Bang Bang'.

As a child, Jessie attended Colin's Performing Arts School in Romford when, then when she was 11 she was cast in the West End production of 'Whistle Down the Wind' by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

She became one of the first judges on BBC One's The Voice UK in 2012 before later also appearing on the Australian version of the show in 2015.

She is currently preparing for her 'The R.O.S.E Tour' around Taipei, Hong Kong and the United States of America later this year.

21 - Jodie Marsh

Brentwood-local Jodie Marsh is famous for being a former professional model and bodybuilder. She also works to promote her nutrition company selling weight loss supplements and meal replacement shakes.

In the past, Jodie has modelled on the covers of FHM, Loaded, Nuts and Zoo. She has also appeared on reality television shows like Celebrity Big Brother, Totally Jodie Marsh.

The 39-year-old also flaunted her home in Brentwood during an episode on MTV Cribs where her viewers set eyes on her kitchen, garden and cluttered dressing room.

In the winter of 2017, Jodie was photographed handing out extra warm coats from her clothing range to the homeless community in Chelmsford after she became "saddened" by the death of Rob O'Conner.

20 - Chyna Ellis

(Image: Facebook)

If you don't remember Chyna from Love Island, you may know her for her off-on relationships with Welsh hunk Jordan Davies on Ibiza Weekender. She spent six weeks on the Spanish Island in September working as a travel rep alongside other reality stars Deano Bailey and David Potts.

The 23-year-old blonde from Brentwood is also a fashion stylist and online influencer for some of the country's most popular brands, including Pretty Little Thing, boohoo, MissPap and Missguided.

She is often seen at popular Turkish restaurant Sheesh in Chigwell along with clubs and bars around London.

19 - Megan McKenna

(Image: MTV)

Woodbridge's 25-year-old Megan McKenna had her first shot in the limelight as part of musical duo Harmony, who made the semi-finals of Britain's Got Talent in 2009.

She later became a cast member on MTV's Ex On The Beach, before she was signed up for Celebrity Big Brother in 2016. She later became a full-time cast member of TOWIE that year.

She has her own restaurant, called 'MCK Grill', in Woodford Green and released her debut single High Heeled Shoes which shot to number one on iTunes.

18 - Stacey Soloman

(Image: Celebrity Secrets/Richard Barr)

Britain fell in love with Dagenham's Stacey Solomon when a very relatable 19-year-old belted out 'What a Wonderful World' during her X Factor audition in 2009, before finishing that series in third behind Olly Murs and winner Joe McElderry.

Now 28, she was crowned Queen of the Jungle during I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here with a huge 80 per cent of the votes and became well-known for being the face of Iceland supermarket adverts in 2011.

In January 2018, Stacey shared both edited and unedited bikini images of herself in a bid to "change the unrealistic standards that young people across the country set upon themselves."

17 - Georgia Box

(Image: Salvatore Scarpa)

YouTuber Georgia Box, 22 from Colchester, has over 50,000 subscribers that watch and share her inventive covers of popular tracks, mash-ups and her own original music.

When she is not promoting her music, including recent single 'I Don't Want You Anymore', Georgia can be found playing football for Billericay Town Football Club.

Georgia has recently also spent time writing and recording an original track called 'Be Alright', which is aimed that breaking the stigma around talking about depression and mental health.

16 - Amy Childs

Arguably one of the most famous faces to come from The Only Way is Essex show is Amy Childs, who was part of the original cast before leaving to take part in Celebrity Big Brother where she finished in fourth place.

Amy, 28, who lives in Brentwood, also ran a salon from her parent's home in Brentwood before she moved into her own home on the same road and opened her business on Wilson's Corner.

She also had a boutique on Ongar Road in Brentwood next to her cousin Harry Derbridge's shop, although she has since closed the shop and moved her business online.

15 - Megan Barton-Hanson

(Image: Dave J Hogan)

Southend's own Megan Barton Hanson entered the Love Island villa in 2018 as was immediately the centre of attention when she split up with Eyal Booker and moved in on Wes Nelson - causing him to end his relationship with Laura Anderson.

It isn't the first time that Megan, 24, has been in the spotlight though, after rumours suggested that she used to make a living selling naked and semi-naked pictures of herself online via an account on OnlyFans, where for just £15-a-month, members of the public can view intimate images that Megan uploads.

Since Love Island, Megan has revealed that she is an official ambassador Pretty Little Thing which she described as having "a huge sense of responsibility" knowing that so many young girls and women will be seeing her social media posts.

14 - Lydia Lucy

(Image: Eamonn M. McCormack)

Fans of The Voice UK and The X Factor may remember 25-year-old Lydia Lucy for her big voice.

In 2013, The Romford local reached the six-chair challenge on The X Factor before being eliminated by mentor Nicole Scherzinger.

She then appeared on The Voice in 2016 as part of Team Will.I.Am, which led Lydia to be chosen to perform on a number of occasions around the country as part of the Black Eyed Peas, including a sell-out show at the Royal Albert Hall.

The brunette is often seen on her social media accounts flying around the world to places like Thailand, Dubai and the United States, where she is currently working on new music.

13 - Zara McDermott

(Image: Mirror/Instagram)

21-year-old Zara, from Upminster in Essex, left behind her job as a government advisor for the Department of Education and entered the Love Island villa earlier this year.

According to reports, she failed to tell her Whitehall bosses about her plans to join Love Island before she entered the show.

She also worked as an Operational Officer and Correspondence Drafter for the Department of Energy and Climate Change for two years.

Her Instagram page has grown rapidly to almost one million followers since her Love Island stint, where she shares modelling photos wearing popular brands like Missguided, Pretty Little Thing and Lasula Boutique.

12 - Anne-Marie Nicholson

(Image: John Phillips)

Singing sensation Anne-Marie Nicholson, 27, has recently performed as a support act on Ed Sheeran's UK and Ireland tour.

The former Stanford-le-Hope schoolgirl has featured with some of the biggest names in music, including Sean Paul, Clean Bandit, Rudimental, Wretch 32, Nick Jonas, Major Lazer and David Guetta.

Her debut album, Speak Your Mind, was released in April 2018 by label Major Tom's and reached number three in the official UK Album Chart.

The pop star has spoken out about how she has fought with body confidence issues.

11 - Jasmine Armfield

(Image: Tim P. Whitby)

Southend actress Jasmine Armfield is most known for playing Rebecca Fowler in BBC soap opera EastEnders, where she was shortlisted for the 'Best Soap Actress' at the 2017 TV Choice Awards.

Rebecca Fowler is the daughter of long-running Eastenders characters Martin and Sonia Fowler, currently played by James Bye and Natalie Cassidy.

As a youngster, the 19-year-old attended The King John School in Benfleet and was also a student at the Pauline Quirk Academy in Wickford from September 2010 until she left to join EastEnders.

10 - Pixie Lott

27-year-old Pixie Lott, from Brentwood, made Essex proud when her debut single 'Mama Do' went straight to number one in the UK Singles Chart in June 2009.

She has now released three studio albums, including 'Turn It Up', which peaked at number three in the UK Album Chart, along with a total of three number one singles.

Away from performing, Pixie spends her time helping to next generation of singers as one of the judges on The Voice Kids UK and running her own Italia Conti Associate School in Chelmsford.

9 - Hannah Tointon

(Image: Chris Jackson)

Hannah Tointon is not only known for being the younger sister of former EastEnders star Kara, but also a famous actress in her own right from her role as Tara Brown in The Inbetweeners and Katy Fox on Hollyoaks.

In 2008, Hannah won the award of 'Most Spectacular Scene of the Year' at The British Soap Awards for the 'Car over the Cliff' moment that her character Katy Fox was involved in during her time on Hollyoaks.

The 30-year-old is currently engaged to Joe Thomas, who played on-screen boyfriend Simon Cooper during The Inbetweeners.

8 - Dani Dyer

(Image: Jeff Spicer)

Dani is the eldest daughter of television star and East End "hardman" Danny Dyer who recently shot to fame when she won ITV reality show Love Island with fellow contestant Jack Fincham.

Prior to this, 22-year-old Dani worked as a barmaid in The Owl in Loughton, Essex and has also starred in eight movies, including action movie Age of Kill alongside Martin Kemp.

In September 2018, she revealed during a radio interview that she had started filming on a brand new family reality television series along with her Dad, boyfriend Jack and both Nan and Grandad.

7 - Louisa Johnson

(Image: Tim P. Whitby)

Louisa Johnson may be just 20-years-old, but she has already smashed the music industry by being named the youngest-ever winner of The X Factor in 2015 and releasing UK Top 40 tracks like 'So Good', 'Best Behaviour' and 'Unpredictable' alongside Olly Murs.

Earlier in 2018, Louisa confirmed via her Twitter account that she had mutually-agreed to end her working relationship with Simon Cowell's Syco label and would be working with Ministry of Sound.

Louisa was raised in Thurrock by father David Johnson and mother Lisa Hayward and she is a massive West Ham United football fan.

6 - Sam and Billie Faiers

(Image: Jeff Spicer)

Faiers sisters Sam, 27, and Billie, 28, both launched their television careers through The Only Way is Essex, although Billie didn't join the cast until the second series in 2011.

Both Sam and Billie have a keen interest in fashion and run their own boutique called Minnie's in Brentwood. They have recently starred in their own reality programme, 'Sam and Billie: The Mummy Diaries', which follows both mothers through their everyday lives.

The Faiers sisters grew up in Brentwood and attended Shenfield High School.

5 - Jesy Nelson

Romford's Jesy Nelson is one of four members of Little Mix, who were the first ever group to win The X Factor on ITV back in 2011.

The band have gone from strength-to-strength to become the biggest girlband in the world, with a UK number one album and four UK number one singles.

Jesy, 27, was a former student at Abbs Cross Academy and Arts College in Hornchurch before her journey of The X Factor led her to global stardom.

4 - Roxy Horner

(Image: Brendon Thorne)

26-year-old Roxy Horner is a model with over 160,000 followers on Instagram who has appeared on the cover of various magazines like Society and Gold Coast.

She has reportedly dated some big names stars over the years, including former TOWIE star Joey Essex, singers Jake Bugg and Taio Cruz along with Hollywood film star Leonard Di Caprio.

Roxy is now based in London and is promoted by Premier Model Management, who also have famous names like Sarah Brannon, Lara Mullen, Charlotte Rose and Luis Iversen.

3 - Lucy Mecklenburgh

(Image: Jeff Spicer)

Lucy Mecklenburgh has finished in third-place in the list, having found her fame when she joined the cast of The Only Way is Essex back in 2010 where she was involved in a love triangle with fellow cast members Mark Wright and Mario Falcone.

The 27-year-old, who lived in Shenfield, also owned her own boutique near Brentwood High Street, which has recently closed.

Lucy is currently in a relationship with Coronation Street actor Ryan Thomas. The pair met while taking part in Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls.

She now inspires her fans to keep fit and has launched her Results With Lucy fitness regime and meal plan.

She shared on her Instagram: "I used to be a curvy size 10 but I was living on pasta, pastries, sugary drinks, three sugars in my tea, skipping breakfast, McDonald's once-twice a week.

"I did ZERO exercise. I had no energy, bad skin, covered in cellulite & felt yuk! I needed to change & I chose my health! #resultswithlucy"

2 - Mrs Hinch

Instragam cleaning queen Sophie Hinchcliffe, also known as Mrs Hinch, has an army of followers on social media that are utterly obsessed with her extremely clean Essex home and her tips on keeping it that way.

The 28-year-old hairdresser, who lives in Maldon, is now the second most influential home interior account on Instagram in the UK and people have fallen in love with her.

She created her profile @MrsHinchHome_X_ in March when her now husband Jamie began to decorate the Maldon home they bought two years ago.

However, since July that the number of followers sky rocketed when she started sharing her cleaning routines, and now she has more than 265,000 followers.

One thing that entertains the Hinch Army is that Sophie names her cleaning products, including her cloth 'Minkeh', Pledge fluffy duster starter kit 'Dave' or Spontex microfibre kitchen kit called 'Buddy'.

Followers often praise Sophie for inspiring them and being honest with them about how cleaning helps her anxiety.

Sophie said: "It took my mind off worrying. It helps me control my panic attacks too. Since I've started the account others have messaged me saying I've changed their lives and helped them with their mental health which to me is simply amazing."

1 - Olivia Buckland

(Image: Jeff Spicer)

Chelmsford's own Olivia Buckland found her husband during series two of Love Island when she paired up with Alex Bowen.

In 2017, Olivia and Alex got engaged and appeared on an episode of Say Yes to the Dress UK.

The 24-year-old has also launched her own swimwear range with MissPap, before later launching the Top Culture collection.

To read our full interview with the star, who we think is sexiest both inside and out, scroll to the top of this story.